Superdads of ShrotaHouse

By Lavpreet Kaur

A son’s first hero, a daughter’s first love- father. The power of a dad in a child’s life is unmatched. He might not tell how much he loves his child, he shows it.

And we, at ShrotaHouse, take pride in celebrating such fathers, who have not only been there for their children but learned, laughed, and created with them.

For these fathers, giving their children the best life doesn’t mean only monetary support, but being actively involved in their learning, and in fact, learning themselves. 

Our super dads found their impetus here at ShrotaHouse. Coming from diverse backgrounds, some related to music, some completely unknown to this art, have all found their solace in music now. Supporting their children in their journey to pursue music, they have also become musical!

“We started connecting with music more because of our daughter. Now we see music everywhere,” said Murali, who learned Carnatic classical vocals and also learned guitar briefly, saw his daughter humming notes as she grew up. That’s when he knew he had to find something for Mugdha (6 years) to follow her calling for music and that also brought back the good old days when he was deeply connected with music.

“We see she has become more disciplined. The little girl who used to sing lyrics wrongly, now corrects everyone on how exactly every word is to be sung, it’s heartwarming to see her growth,” Murali says.

Mahendra Chavan, father of Manasawi (7 years old) and Shaarvi (5 years old), had little background in music but was not thorough. It got rekindled when his daughters started learning music at ShrotaHouse. He finds the harmonium application on his phone very interesting, he’s using it for at least one hour every day.

“I got the motivation to pursue music more formally, I am more confident with playing harmonium now,” he says. Chavan feels his bonding with his daughters has become even better – music is their common connection, and the interactions he has with his daughters bring him back on track.

Leading by example is his message to all fathers out there. Do things around your kids that you want them to learn. When Manasawi and Shaarvi see their dad practicing harmonium every day, it gives them the motivation to do better.

Somewhat similar, yet unique is the story of Rajendra Bhama. He also didn’t have a musical background, but he loved listening to music and sometimes singing at family get-togethers.

Rajendra’s firstborn, Dhruv (12 years) was very sensitive to sound, right from birth. Loud or unpleasant sounds would disturb him a lot. Both parents were cautious and chose only soft lullabies that their children would enjoy. However, observing Dhruv enjoying music, Rajendra decided to take him to one of Farhan Akhtar’s shows. Corner seats were selected so that moving out would be easy, but guess what……..Dhruv was for the first time okay with a loud sound, and not just that, he wanted to play the guitar with his left hand, just as he had observed at the show. So his grandfather got him a Ukulele, just right for his size!

Rachana, Rajendra’s wife, vividly remembers how he bonded over music with both their children. Right from lullabies to different genres of music.  Eventually, Dhruv and his younger brother Ved (9 years) at the age of 7 and 4 years respectively,  were formally introduced to the keyboard. That’s where the musical journey began.

At this time Rajendra would get nostalgic and say, “ I always wanted to learn an instrument but I didn’t.” So, While practicing the children would sometimes spend additional time teaching their dad. Although not for long, they did manage to teach their dad a small piece.

While both were exposed to Western music, Indian classical music was something they got introduced to at ShrotaHouse. Dhruv was attracted to the sound of the sitar and wanted to learn it. He came across the opportunity to interview Shri Pandit Sugato Nag and found his guru instantly. While both the brothers practicing sitar Rajendra’s nostalgia revisited him. “I always wanted to learn a musical instrument but …. “ His children paused him and said, “But you can learn now… “

So now we hear Rajendra saying “ “I always wanted to learn a musical instrument and now I am learning with my boys !”

Inspirations need not always be passed on from older generations sometimes we do come across such unique stories where the inspired youngsters inspire their elders. And as you become a child in your child’s journey, that’s when you hit the jackpot of amazing learnings and adventures.

“The thrill of being a great father is not seeing your children go on to become successful adults. The thrill of a great father is the journey, experiencing your child’s successes along the pathway to their greatness.”

Reed Markham

Our fathers here are proving that right in every aspect. We are grateful for you, and celebrate you not just today, but every day.

Fatherhood is a marathon, not a sprint. We wish all the wonderful dads the best for this long yet beautiful journey.

Do share this with your father and fathers across the world and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.